


New Planet, New Year, New Us

by Nightstorm



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alien Planet, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Getting Together, New Year's Resolutions, Pies (mentioned), Post-Episode: s02e13 Doomsday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightstorm/pseuds/Nightstorm
Summary: Rose is feeling down after saying her final goodbye to her mother on Bad Wolf Bay, so the Doctor decides she needs a distraction in the form of a very special way of entering the next year, including but not limited to glowing marmalade, throwing pies, and a change in their relationship.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 13
Kudos: 26





	New Planet, New Year, New Us

* * *

Rose watched the Doctor flit around the console in his usual, manic dance, pressing buttons and pulling levers as he went while babbling a mile a minute. It was a sight that usually filled her with just as much excitement at the prospect of a new planet and time, but today, all she could see was the last time he’d stood at that console. A week ago, there’d been no trace of his usual cheer; instead, he’d looked at her with sorrow and pained understanding as she said her final goodbye to her mother.

Things had changed after that, but Rose wasn’t yet sure how. He’d been extra attentive towards her, never straying far, not even during the night, and she’d clung to him at every opportunity, both for comfort and for reassurance that she had at least one person left in this universe who cared about her. Because while she felt that they were closer than ever, he was also so very careful with her, watching her with a troubled expression that vanished as soon as she looked at him directly. It felt like he’d opened up towards her, but also as if he’d closed some doors that had previously been open.

It was all just too much for her to deal with right now.

And so she’d curled into herself and granted herself a brief period to mourn her loss and work through all the emotional aftermath of Canary Warf, so she’d be ready to travel again soon, but apparently the Doctor had finally lost his patience after a week of floating in the Vortex.

“You’re gonna love this place, Rose! They celebrate New Year’s Day by throwing fruit pies at each other as a kind of blessing. They believe that it will guarantee a bountiful harvest in the coming summer – or light season, as they call it here, since this planet spins so slowly, one year consist of only one light phase followed by a dark phase, each lasting for roughly half an earth year. Can you imagine? I’d never get you out of your bed during the dark season!” he said now – really, the first words she’d even registered since he started talking five minutes ago – and looked at her expectantly, waiting for… something.

She tried mustering some of her usual cheer but really, all she wanted were a few episodes East Enders, a hot chocolate, and some cuddles, either on the couch or in her bed. She wasn’t ready to save the world again. “Sounds wonderful.”

Something like pain and regret flashed over his face, but he turned around too quickly for her to see properly and started talking again, his voice sounding just as exuberant as before. “It is! They make _marvellous_ marmalade on Soluma II, we ought to buy a few glasses. It glows when it’s cold! Isn’t that brilliant?” He whirled around again and bounced on his heels, childish glee and anticipation written all over his face. She loved it when he looked like this, so genuinely excited and practically glowing with energy.

Wait. _Glowing marmalade_? “How does it do that?” she asked, trying to imagine how it would look on her toast. Definitely weird.

The Doctor grinned, and was that a hint of smugness in his smile? What was that for, now? “Everything on the planet adapted to being exposed to half a year of continual light and then plunged into half a year of total darkness,” he said, launching into one of his lectures. “Well, _technically_ each only lasts for a quarter year adding up to half a year, while the other half of the year consists of perpetual dusk or dawn, but anyway. The light season is extremely humid and wet – think earth rainforest, but three truckloads wetter. Everything soaks up the light and heat and water and stores it for the dark season, where everything just… freezes.” He motioned with his hands to exemplify his statement – not that it made anything clearer, she thought.

“What, like, solid? Just, frozen solid?”

“Yep!” he said, popping the ‘p’. “Well, the plants, anyway. They have a special chemical in their fluids that reacts to the cold – cool it down sufficiently and it starts glowing and generating heat instead! Keeps the core nice and warm while the outside freezes.”

“And that’s why the marmalade glows?” Rose asked, intrigued.

“Exactly!”

“And it’s safe to eat?”

“Completely! Wellll, should be,” he amended, tugging at his earlobe.

Rose laughed, knowing full well that if the Doctor got his way, they would be eating nothing _but_ glowing marmalade for the next weeks. Still, she couldn’t deny that her curiosity had been piqued. “Okay. Not gonna keep you away from your glowing marmalade. Take us to Soluma II!”

Buzzing with excitement, the Doctor continued his dance around the TARDIS and soon the lovely, rasping sound of her engines filled the air. Oh, she’d missed that sound more than she’d thought. Perhaps she’d been wrong. Maybe a little adventure was just the thing she needed after all to get back on her feet.

The TARDIS landed with a dull _thud_ , only slightly shaking her inhabitants who were used to much worse. “My, you must really want that marmalade,” Rose teased, laughing at his indignant spluttering that yes, he _could_ land the TARDIS gently, thank you very much! “Sure you can. Should I go get a jacket?”

The Doctor sniffed, feigning hurt (which she didn’t buy for a second), then nodded. “Take one that doesn’t stain.” He eyed his own beloved trench coat and then headed towards the wardrobe room himself. “Actually, I’ll join you this time. Don’t want to ruin this coat. Janis Joplin gave it to me!”

“I know, Doctor, I know.”

“Spoilsport.”

A couple of minutes later and adequately dressed for the cold winter night, Rose and the Doctor emerged from the TARDIS and stepped into wonderland. There was no other word for it, Rose found, as she looked around in wide-eyed wonder. It was night, she knew, but it wasn’t dark; green and turquoise leaves glowed softly above their heads and all around them, illuminating the forest and reflecting off of the fresh snow beneath their feet. Little lights shone brightly in a myriad of colours from out of the thick undergrowth, and when Rose stepped closer, she saw they were little bundles of frozen berries.

“Wow,” she breathed, awestruck at the sight before her. She spun slowly in a circle, taking it all in. “It’s beautiful.”

“This particular part of Soluma II will be rated one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy during its dark season,” the Doctor explained softly, apparently loath to disrupt the peaceful quiet of the forest. “The cities and forests will be swarming with tourists once the secret spreads, but right now that’s only beginning and it’s more of an insider’s tip.”

“It’s stunning,” Rose said, unable to tear her eyes away from the sparkling lights around her. She stretched out a gloved hand and reverently touched a bundle of bright blue berries that tinkled upon contact like little bells. Leaves whispered around them in light tones as animals scattered, scared away by their sudden intrusion, and Rose giggled in delight. This was easily one of the most beautiful places she’d ever been to, and everything felt so tranquil, so peaceful. It was enough to make her forget her aching heart for just a while and enjoy herself as she explored a little.

It took her a while to notice how suspiciously quiet the Doctor was, and when she glanced at him to check if he was still there, he was watching her reverently, an unimaginably tender expression on his face that made her heart stutter and skip a beat.

She knew, of course, how he felt about her. It was hard not to, when he looked at her the same way she looked at him when he thought she wasn’t looking, and the way they touched and cuddled and laughed together… She knew. But to see it so blatantly written on his face, without him even trying to hide it… Maybe… Maybe they could finally leave all the pretences behind?

She stopped in front of him where he was still leaning against the TARDIS, her blue wood a stark contrast to the white and glowing world around them. She was sure he would draw back, hide behind his shields and pretend he hadn’t been watching her, but he just smiled softly at her. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Yeah,” she managed, more than a little thrown. “It’s beautiful. Thank you for taking me here.”

“You’re welcome,” he said warmly, his eyes never looking away from her, and she wanted to kiss him so badly. Maybe he would allow it. Maybe he would even welcome it. She could just try, maybe…

She swallowed and drew back, suddenly panicked at the thought of losing him too. Because he ran. He always ran when things became too real, when _they_ became too real for his liking. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bear it if he ran right now.

Disappointment flashed through his eyes and he sighed silently, but Rose didn’t notice, too busy hiding her reddening cheeks to pay attention to the subtle shifts of his face and posture. Scrambling for something to say to distract him and herself, she remembered what he’d said before and greedily latched onto that. “You were talking about marmalade and throwing pies before, yeah? Don’t see any of that. You sure we’re at the right place?”

If the Doctor noticed her distraction manoeuvre, he didn’t let on. Instead, his face lit up as he remembered his own words and he launched into action, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. “Right you are, Rose Tyler! We’re not far from the village, just a few hundred metres. We just need to follow that path over there and we’ll be in Berridale in no time.”

“If you say so, Doctor…”, Rose said doubtfully, not trusting his estimation one bit, but oh well. There were certainly worse places to take a walk in.

It was safe to say that Rose was a little surprised when they did indeed leave the dense forest behind only a few minutes after they started walking and ended up in a quaint little village that buzzed with activity. Though looking around, Rose wasn’t sure that “leaving the forest behind” was the right description since there were trees _everywhere_ , even in the middle of what appeared to be the main street. In fact, the only difference seemed to be the lack of undergrowth, which was replaced by little stone and wood houses that seemed far too small to live in, considering that the native species appeared to be human sized, if not quite human shaped. Their arms were longer for one thing, with clawed hands that looked like they could do some wicked damage. Then there were the long tails of course, and the horn protruding from the back of their heads. Curiously enough, Rose noted that the tips seemed to glow for some individuals, but not everyone. She’d ask the Doctor about that later, but first… “Doctor, are you sure we’ll be alright? We don’t exactly fit in.”

“Nah, we’re fine,” he assured her, already striding forward right into the village. “They’re a peaceful lot and very welcoming of visitors. Just don’t insult their Queen, they don’t like that.”

“Alright, striking that from my bucket list then. ‘m just saying, those claws don’t look very friendly.”

“Oh, that. They’re strictly herbivores and need them to climb the trees to get to the fruit, their main diet.”

“I could do with some of those,” Rose said wistfully when her stomached growled as if on cue, the smell of baked goods heavy in the air and making her hungry again, even though breakfast hadn’t been that long ago. The Doctor hummed in agreement and together, they went looking for a meal and found a food cart that sold something that looked suspiciously like grilled bananas, but with a much firmer texture and tasting more like mango with a meaty aftertaste.

Rose looked at her food with a frown. “Not too sure about that marmalade anymore, Doctor.”

The Doctor nibbled at his own banana-thingy, apparently just as unconvinced but trying his best to stay optimistic. “We can get a different flavour, I’m sure.”

Their food done and hunger stilled for now, they strolled over what appeared to be a marketplace and the main attraction for other tourists, since now Rose could see a few other alien species mingling around, looking at the wares. There were fascinating things; intricately woven carpets, extremely detailed wooden statues and tools, and one stand sold glowing miniature trees, some slightly bigger than her, some barely the size of her hand. “The equivalent of lamps,” the Doctor explained cheerfully, holding one of the tiny trees up. “Put it on your desk and water it now and then and you won’t ever need to bother with light bulbs or electricity bills again.”

“It would probably die on my desk,” Rose said drily, thinking of all the flowers she’d killed by forgetting to water them regularly. She moved on to the next stand, again one with wooden figurines. Picking up a small statue of a tiger-like creature, she wondered if she should buy something for her mother as a gift… But no, her mother was gone.

Swallowing heavily, she put the statue back down and abruptly turned around, straight into the Doctor. He caught her before she could tumble to the ground. “Rose? Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, wiping away a stray tear. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“We can go back to the TARDIS, if you want,” he said, sounding concerned.

“No, no, I’m fine, really.” She smiled weakly. “Still need to find that marmalade, yeah?”

He looked at her for a few seconds, an indecisive expression on his face. Then his hand lifted slowly and gently, so very gently, he pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face and lingered on her cheek for a moment longer. Rose’s breath hitched and all of her focussed on the man in front of her and the determined, yet tender expression in his warm brown eyes. The sounds of the bustling market fell away as he came closer and…

“You buying or what?”

Rose and the Doctor flinched back as the vendor whose stand they were occupying finally lost his patience and interrupted them rudely. Immense disappointment stabbed through Rose, because the Doctor had been so close, and now surely he’d realise what he’d almost done and retreat back into his safe shell–

“No,” the Doctor bit out and pulled Rose away. She almost had to jog to keep pace with his long strides.

“Doctor,” she called out, panting. “Doctor wait! Where are you going?”

“Someplace quiet.”

“Why?” she asked bewildered. This wasn’t like him; this wasn’t the behaviour she’d come to expect of him. He laughed and ignored and pretended nothing significant had happened, not drag her into the secluded, hushed forest with determination burning in his eyes.

He finally stopped in a small clearing not far from Berridale, tiny tinkling golden berries the only sound around them. He inhaled deeply, as if to gather his nerves, and then turned towards her. “I won’t run anymore.”

Rose blinked at him.

He swallowed, hands stuffed into his pockets to keep from fidgeting. “What I mean is– From us– I don’t–“ He growled in frustration and raked one of his hands through his hair, mussing it up until it stood on end like a hedgehog’s. “I don’t want to run from us anymore.”

Wild hope fluttered in Rose’s chest. Was he saying…? He couldn’t mean…? But surely she hadn’t misheard, and he looked so nervous, he must have really said what she thought he had, right?

“Rose, say something,” he pleaded after she remained quiet, too stunned and wrapped up in thoughts to answer him. Hope and fear warred inside of her equally; she wanted to run to him, but at the same time she didn’t know if she trusted him not to change his mind and draw back again.

She needed to know more before she could give her answer. “How come? Why now? What changed?” She anxiously bit her lip, waiting for his answer.

He was silent for a while, but it wasn’t the same silence he used when he didn’t want to answer a question, so Rose did her best to remain patient. Finally, he answered slowly, “I’m used to being alone. I take companions because they are useful and it’s nice to share my travels with someone, but in the end, they usually leave me behind.”

“’m not leaving you,” Rose interrupted, the denial instant and instinctive. The Doctor smiled warmly at her.

“I’m starting to believe that, too. That’s what I was trying to say before you interrupted,” he said with a light chuckle, then reached out a hand to draw Rose closer, until they stood only inches apart and she could see every unguarded emotion flicker through his eyes. Hope, trust, tenderness, fear, sorrow, love. “I can’t promise that you can stay the rest of my life with me, but I will stay the rest of yours with you. If you’ll have me.”

“Yeah,” she choked out, not believing her ears but not daring to question them any further. She’d lost so much in the last month; she wanted to believe that maybe she’d gained more than she’d hoped for.

“It might take me a while to figure things out,” he warned, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I’ve never actually been… well, in any kind of… relationship… before. Not even sure it’s the right moment, with… well. You know. Just thought you might need a distraction, and then... Well.”

Rose buried her head in his jacket, chuckling softly. “Let’s make it our new year’s resolution then. Figure things out, move on, be better together. Finish some sentences in the process. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said, strengthening his embrace and humming softly into her hair, sounding completely content and happy.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Rose and the Doctor drew back when the entire forest began to chime and sing in bright tones, accompanied by a rhythmic beat that echoed all around them in layers and layers of sound.

“Oooh,” the Doctor chirped excitedly, “they’re playing the trees! That’s the signal that their celebrations are about to start! Come on, Rose Tyler. Time for pies!”

Later, many, many hours and pies later, they ran back to the TARDIS, leaving behind a trail of footprints, pieces of fruit, and pie crusts, laughing maniacally as a horde of enraged natives sprinted after them.

“Next time, maybe don’t reject a pie the Queen throws at you!” Rose panted, barely able to breathe from running and laughing at the same time.

“It tasted like _pears_ , Rose!”

“You take me on the most _pear_ -fect dates, Doctor.”

If they hadn’t been followed by bloodthirsty locals, Rose was sure he would have stopped dead in his tracks. “ _Rose Tyler–_ ”

“Kiss me later, now run!”

“Oh, you better believe it,” he muttered darkly and darted into the TARDIS after her, away from the trouble behind them and towards the rest of their lives together in this brand-new year.

**Author's Note:**

> Hmm. Not my greatest work, I feel, since I wrote this rather hastely and rewrote it halfway through to change the perspective from the Doctor to Rose, since his PoV kept fighting me, but I wanted to publish some kind of New Year's OS, so here you go. Not a human AU, for once! Lol. I hope I managed to catch most mistakes in my one round of editing. 
> 
> Happy New Year! Stay safe, and may it turn out better than the last.


End file.
